Through The Looking Glass
by Trapped in a MatchBox
Summary: "She was ridiculously gorgeous, that much was a fact. But there was something about her, he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly, that made her stand out even more. He watched as her thumb caressed the cover of the book gently, and was startled to find sadness in her eyes for a moment." AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's been a while, huh? Sorry I've been MIA for so long, guys. I just needed to take a breather and today I realised that I hadn't written anything in months. And I missed it. I know I need to work on my other stories, but those need a little brainstorming first. This one is just to get my writing juices flowing again. I don't know how long it will be, but it won't be long. Just a little something to distract myself and get into the Castle mindframe.**

**Hope you guys like it. I might be a little rusty.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.**

* * *

**Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

"Daddy?"

He heard his daughter's voice as if it was coming from a great distance. The foggy sleep state he currently found himself in felt like a heavy blanket pinning him down to the bed and he couldn't find the strength to move.

"Daddy!"

The young voice sounded entirely too bossy to belong to a 9-year-old. He knew Alexis was shaking his shoulder, but his head felt like it was about to explode if he moved a single inch. He had known that drinking so much the night before was a bad idea, but he was going through his second divorce in less than ten years, so one night of drinking himself into oblivion was okay in his book. And he had only allowed himself to wallow in his self-pity because his little girl wasn't home.

So what was she doing here now? Wasn't he supposed to go pick her up somewhere?

"Daddy, wake up!"

He cracked one eye open with difficulty, the sun shining through the window making his headache kick up a notch. Sure enough, there was his precious red head princess. She smiled happily when he finally managed to focus his attention on her and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Hi, pumpkin." He croaked out, closing his eyes when it felt like a sledgehammer was knocking down every single wall inside his skull. "Weren't you supposed to spend the weekend with your mom?"

"She had an audition or something like that. Dropped me off a few minutes ago." The young girl explained, rolling her eyes.

He sighed and tried to sit up slowly. Meredith really was not cut out to be a mother. It wasn't the first time and it most definitely wouldn't be the last. At least Alexis hadn't come back home crying this time. It seemed that she understood better now that she was older. Her mom was more like the crazy aunt that stopped by once in a while. He was the only parent in this family, really.

"You okay?" He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and pulled her down to lie next to him.

"Yeah. You know how mom is, dad. I don't take it personally." She sighed and he knew that it was not okay, but Alexis wouldn't allow herself to dwell on it. "I was bored, anyway. And I missed you." She said with a small smile, turning around to face him.

"Missed you too, sweetheart." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "What time is it?" He rubbed his eyes sleepily, hoping this godforsaken hangover wouldn't last too long.

"A little over ten. Maybe we could go for a walk? It's not so cold anymore." She suggested eagerly and he chuckled. "Oh, maybe we could go to that bookstore we saw the other day!"

"Sure, pumpkin. As long as you give me a few minutes to wake up properly and take a shower."

"A shower is probably a good idea, daddy. You smell." She wrinkled her nose teasingly and he gasped in mock surprise. "No tickling, no tickling! I take it back! I take it back!" She pleaded and he winced at the sound.

Alexis jumped out of his bed with a speed that actually surprised him and was across the room and through the door in a flash. He sat up and stretched his arms up, groaning when the movement made his headache worse.

God, where was the damn aspirin?

* * *

Rick closed the door behind him, shaking his head at his daughter's excitement to be visiting a new bookstore. If there was ever any doubt that she was his kid, her love for books definitely settled the matter in his favor. He called after her that he would be in the mystery session – he had to check out the competition after all – and heard her positive reply back.

Alexis had a routine whenever she came to a bookstore. She would browse for a while, pick a few titles and then settle down somewhere to read the one that interested her the most. It never changed. He would usually give her about an hour before telling her they had to go. She would plead with him to stay just a little longer and they would end up staying another hour. It was infallible. Every single time.

So imagine his surprise when he didn't find her reading a book in a quiet corner an hour later, but talking animatedly with a young woman instead. She was clutching the fourth book of the Harry Potter series in one hand and gesticulating excitedly with the other.

"You're going to love it. It's so good. The best one yet!" She said brilliantly and the woman smiled, making Rick pay closer attention to her.

She was gorgeous. Like, seriously, drop dead gorgeous. Wow.

Swallowing nervously, he made his way to them, trying to think of something clever to say. He was usually pretty smooth when it came to the ladies, but since his recent (and pretty damn ugly) divorce just six months before, he hadn't dated anyone. In fact, he hadn't even tried to meet anyone new.

"She's right, you know. This is the best one yet." He said, leaning against one of the bookcases, feeling like kicking himself. That was the best he could come up with? He was seriously off his game.

"Daddy, hi! I was just telling Kate how awesome The Goblet of Fire is. She hasn't read it yet. Which is good, you know, because you won't have to wait long for the next one now." She added, turning back to the woman. "It's supposed to come out in the summer."

The young woman looked up at him and her eyes widened for a moment, surprise registering clearly on her face. He cocked his head to the side, examining her for a second and wondered if she knew who he was. But the surprise in her eyes was gone in a matter of seconds and she offered him a small smile.

"You won't regret it… Kate, was it?" He offered his hand for her to shake and she did, her warm palm sending a surge of something like an electric shock through his veins.

"Kate Beckett, yes." She said with a smile and he reluctantly let her hand go.

Where were these thoughts even coming from? He sounded like a crazy stalker in his own head.

"Rick Castle. It's really nice to meet you." He said and looked at his daughter for a second, who was standing next to a small table, counting down the pile of books she had selected.

"You too, Mr. Castle. It's an honor, really. I love your books." Kate said shyly and he grinned happily.

"Thank you very much." He said warmly and delighted in the way her neck flushed in embarrassment. "So, a Harry Potter fan, huh?" He lifted an eyebrow teasingly to try to keep her talking. She shrugged with a small smile.

"Got sucked in, what can I say? Just haven't had time to read this one yet." She showed him her copy of The Goblet of Fire. "Glad I had Alexis here to tell me all about it." She nudged the girl playfully and his daughter nodded happily.

"There is this one part that is so funny that-" She started, but Rick quickly swoop in and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Whoa, Pumpkin, spoiler alert. Have I taught you nothing?" He joked and Kate chuckled. She looked even better when she was laughing.

"Right, sorry. You have to read it fast, though. Then let me know what you thought of it." Alexis said eagerly and Kate nodded.

"Sure. But I can't make any promises about how fast I'll be able to read it. I don't have a lot of free time with my job and all."

"What do you do?" He blurted out curiously before his brain could process it. She looked young, maybe in her mid-twenties. He could picture her as a lawyer maybe, just starting out with her career.

"Oh, I'm a police officer with the NYPD." She replied and he could feel her gaze on him, as if expecting a reaction.

"No way, really? That is so cool." He said, looking at her surprised – and a little bit in awe, if he was being honest with himself. "And totally not what I would've guessed."

"Do you catch bad guys, Kate? Can I still call you Kate if you're a police officer?" Alexis asked curiously and she nodded.

"Yes, I do. And of course you can call me Kate. I'm not on duty right now."

"That is so _awesome_." Alexis looked up at the tall woman in awe. "Hey, we're having lunch soon. Maybe you'd like to come with us?" She asked hopefully and Rick felt the woman's gaze shift to him.

"Oh, honey, thanks for inviting me, but I'm sure you and your dad have plans already." She excused herself, but Rick found himself shaking his head and touching her arm for a moment.

"Actually, you're welcome to come with us, Kate." He reassured her and she bit her lip. "I mean, a beautiful woman who is a NYPD officer and also a Harry Potter fan? That's not someone we meet every day, right, Alexis?" He turned to his daughter, nudging her side. He didn't want it to seem like he was already coming on to her. It didn't sound like he was, did it?

"Absolutely not." The young girl said seriously. Kate chuckled and shook her head, amused. "It's going to be fun, Kate. We're going to Alice's Tea Cup. Come on, please?"

"Is that a restaurant?" Kate asked curiously as they started to head down to the cashier to pay for the books.

"Yeah and everything in it is from Alice in Wonderland. It's the coolest place ever!" Alexis explained excitedly while Rick paid for her books.

He had never seen his daughter so taken with someone she didn't know before and wondered what it was about Kate that had stricken a chord with Alexis so quickly. The redhead was usually outgoing, but she tended to be a little shy around people she didn't know. He looked at Kate again while they waited for her to pay for her book and found himself intrigued.

She was ridiculously gorgeous, that much was a fact. But there was something about her, he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly, that made her stand out even more. He watched as her thumb caressed the cover of the book gently, and was startled to find sadness in her eyes for a moment. What was that about, he wondered.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he found her standing in front of him, looking unsure. "I mean, you don't have to…"

"Of course it's okay, Kate. I wouldn't have invited you if it wasn't." He offered a small smile and felt his stomach flip when she smiled back.

_Good lord_, he thought as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. _Who was this woman?_

* * *

_A/N: Thoughts? Should I continue?_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You guys are _amazing_! I am so completely overwhelmed with the amount of reviews and alerts and just the sheer support that you guys flooded my inbox with in the past 24 hours. Seriously, I have no words to thank you all. It means so much to me, you have no idea. **

**This idea was born out of playing the Harry Potter game on Wii last night and thinking that I needed to write something again. I honestly did not expect this.**

**Really, thank you so much.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.**

* * *

**Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"My birthday party was here last year."

Kate heard the young girl's sigh and turned to her with a smile. She wasn't sure what it was about this kid, but there was just something about Alexis that seemed to draw her in. She wasn't usually a kids person, not having a whole lot of experience with them since she had been one herself. Being an only daughter with parents that had no siblings had that effect on you. That and all the kids she knew back then were obviously all grown up and probably with kids of their own.

Not that she would know. She hadn't seen anyone from her past life in five years. Not since that dreadful winter.

"Yeah? How was it?" She scooped another spoonful of ice cream, chancing a glance at the girl's father.

Richard Castle. Her favorite author. What were the odds of this moment right here ever happening again, she thought to herself.

"It was amazing. Dad dressed up as the Mad Hatter. It was so funny." Alexis giggled and Kate lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

"Is that so?" She teased him and he shrugged nonchalantly, even though she could see him blushing slightly.

"The things you do for the kids…" He sighed dramatically and Alexis rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"You enjoyed it, Daddy. Don't lie. I know you did." She threw a napkin playfully at him. He caught it and threw it back, making her laugh.

"I might have." He shrugged again and winked at Kate, making her chuckle.

"I had an Alice in Wonderland birthday party too, you know." She told Alexis conspiratorially.

"Really?" The redhead leaned forward on the table eagerly and Kate nodded.

"I think it was my eighth birthday. I dressed as Alice and my Dad gave me a white bunny as a birthday present."

She sighed at the memory. If she closed her eyes, she could still smell the cake her mother baked especially for her and hear her friends singing happy birthday to her. She knew there was a picture of her somewhere dressed in a blue dress, just like Alice.

"A real, live bunny?" Alexis asked, surprised.

"A real, live bunny. His name was Bert. I loved him so much." She smiled at the girl and turned to her father, only to find him watching her intently.

"That's so cool." The redhead marveled and Kate nodded, biting her lip. Rick looked at her so interestedly, like he was trying to figure her out. It unsettled her and made her feel appreciated at the same time.

This family gave her a lot of weird, contradictory feelings.

"Are you still close with your folks?" He asked, curiosity clear in his voice, and her heart froze for a second. She tried to school her features quickly, but he must have seen something because he started to reach for her hand and stopped halfway, unsure. "Kate?"

She swallowed hard, willed her heart rate to return to normal and for her voice to come out strong and even.

"Actually, no." She took a deep breath. It had been a while since she had last talked about this. She tended to forget how much it always hurt to remember. "My parents died a few years ago. It's just me now. And my grandma, but she lives in a cabin upstate."

This time he did reach for her hand, gave it a comforting squeeze. He looked so stricken, so guilty for having asked her.

"Kate, I'm so sorry. I-" He started, but she shook her head, squeezed his hand back and let it go.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know." She offered a small smile, but she knew she still looked sad. She was usually so good at hiding her emotions, but this time it seemed like the switch had been turned off. "It was a long time ago."

"Do you miss them?" She heard Alexis ask quietly, and turned to her a little startled. For a moment, she had forgotten about her presence.

"Every single day." She nodded and reached out to tuck a loose strand of the girl's hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes looked so sad for her that Kate didn't know what to do with herself.

"I miss having a mom too. A real mom." She whispered mostly to herself and Kate turned back to Rick, eyebrows raised in question.

"Story for another day." He said quietly and Kate nodded, understandingly.

"You don't have to be by yourself, you know." Alexis commented, taking a sip of her chocolate milkshake. "You said it's just you now?" She added when Kate looked at her confused. "Well, it's just me and Dad. We can keep each other company." The girl gave her a small smile, suddenly shy and Kate felt her heart warm with her kindness.

"Oh, honey, that's really sweet of you. I appreciate it, but I'm okay. Really." She replied, touched by her gesture.

"Well, still."

Alexis shrugged and Kate really smiled now, chancing a glance at Rick. He was watching their conversation carefully and hadn't interrupted at all. She cocked her head to the side and really looked at him. He looked… grateful, it seemed. But she had no idea why.

She still couldn't even believe this day was really happening.

"You still haven't told me who your favorite character is, Kate." Alexis blurted out after a moment of silence, effectively breaking the tension.

Kate laughed quietly, grateful for the ice breaker, and engaged in an animated discussion with her new young friend. They talked for another half an hour, Rick pitching in every now and then about his favorite characters and his reasons for favoring them. Kate felt at ease with this little family; something she hadn't felt in a really long time now. It was baffling to her that two strangers – one of them a little kid – would be the ones who would give her this sense of comfort again, when she had thought she would never feel this way with anyone again.

Of course, it could be all in her head because she was having lunch with her favorite author and his adorable little girl and everything about this day felt surreal. When it was time to pay the check, she insisted on paying her share, but Rick would have none of it, claiming she could buy them lunch next time and they would be even. Her heart fluttered excitedly at that, but she couldn't allow herself to get her hopes up. He was probably just saying that to be nice. She was sure that the odds of her meeting them again were minimal and she should just chalk this encounter up to pure happenstance. And luck. Sheer, dumb luck.

"The offer still stands, by the way." He stopped her with a hand on her arm when they exited the restaurant a few minutes later. She turned to look back at him confused. "You don't have to be by yourself, like she said." He nodded at his daughter, who seemed lost in thought with her newly acquired stuffed white bunny.

"You don't have to do that, you know." She smiled, shaking her head, and he shrugged, gazing at her with a boyish look.

"Well, if you don't want to do it for you, do it for us, then. We could use some company." He quipped and she chuckled, biting her lip in thought for a moment. "And I, uh… I kind of want to see you again, so I'm using that as my excuse." He added with a grin.

"I'll think about it." She offered, trying to decide the wisdom of even considering going out with Richard Castle.

"That's progress." He grinned happily and fished his phone out of his jacket pocket. "Can I have your number?" He asked hopefully and handed her the device.

She narrowed her eyes at him playfully and programmed her number into his contacts list before giving it back to him. He quickly shot her a text and she heard her phone chirp in her pocket.

"There, now you have my number too." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Don't hesitate to use it."

"Guess that goes both ways." She told him and called out for a taxi that was passing by. "It was great meeting you guys."

"You too, Kate." He shook the hand she offered and brought it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her skin.

"Yeah, it was really great meeting you, Kate." Alexis chimed in with a happy smile. Kate nodded and waved as she got into the car. "Did you just ask her out?" The girl asked her dad suddenly and both adults looked at her surprised. Kate watched, amused, as he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before nodding. "Daaaad, I'm right here!"

Kate gave the driver her address and laughed quietly to herself as the taxi drove away. Had that really just happened?

* * *

The next two days passed in a blur for Kate. She had dedicated her Sunday to clean her apartment and it had taken much longer than she expected, given how long it'd been since she had last gone on a cleaning spree. With that out of the way, she had to admit that the highlight of her day had been the text that Rick had sent her on Sunday night, asking how her day had been. She still didn't understand what exactly had happened – _was happening?_ – between herself and this guy, who seemed to have suddenly parachuted into her life with his kid.

They texted back and forth for a little while about nothing important and he made her laugh several times with his ridiculous ideas. It was a little overwhelming to be texting a guy she never even thought she would ever meet personally, let alone have his phone number. Who would have thought that deciding on a whim to go check if her favorite bookstore still had the latest Harry Potter book would result in something like this.

The following day had been an insanely boring paperwork day and she was glad to be on patrol duty on Tuesday morning. It wasn't the most exciting of jobs, but at least she wasn't chained to a desk filling out endless forms about petty crimes. That morning she had been paired up with a rookie called Kevin Ryan. It was his first day and Kate was supposed to show him the ropes of patrol duty. Before starting out, they decided to stop for a cup of coffee. Ryan - so eager to please her - volunteered to go buy their first caffeine shot of the morning and she was waiting for him in the car when she heard a loud crash nearby.

Getting out of her unit quickly, she zipped up her NYPD jacket to protect her against the chill of the late winter and soon found out what had happened. A black sedan and an SUV had crashed in the intersection. With a sigh, she reported it in and called 911 for an ambulance. Both cars looked pretty banged up, so someone would probably need medical attention. She saw Ryan coming out of the coffee shop and signaled to him that she was going over to the crash site.

She headed to the Sedan first to check on the passengers and a gasp escaped her lips when she recognized Richard Castle and his daughter inside.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: You guys are awesome. That's all I have to say. Thank you so much for your lovely reviews. They mean the world to me.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.**

* * *

**Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Rick. Oh, God, no, don't move." She gasped, putting a hand on his shoulder gently, afraid to hurt him even more.

He had deep gash on his forehead and his blood, a vivid red fountain, was flowing freely over the side of his face. Her heart was galloping inside her chest and she felt like it would beat its way out at any second. Alexis seemed to be unconscious in the backseat, but she couldn't be sure until she got a closer look.

"Alexis." He managed to mumble, but she tried to soothe him, pushing his hair away from the wound.

"No, don't move. I'll check on her. The ambulance is on its way."

She could hear the panicked edge to her voice, but she couldn't make herself sound any different. These were people she knew, people she had come to care about in the short span of forty-eight hours. They weren't like the ordinary car crash she always handled when she was on patrol duty.

"Kate?" He tried to move his head in her direction and she squeezed his hand gently. "Kate, is that you?"

"Hi, yeah. It's me. I've got you." She kept his hand in hers until she heard the ambulance siren a moment later. "I'm going to go check on Alexis, okay?"

"Alexis?" He blinked slowly, his eyes unfocused. "My daughter. Where is she?" He sounded panicked, but groggy at the same time.

"I'm checking on her right now, Rick. Just calm down for a second, alright? I'm right here." She tried to keep her voice calm and soothing, but it was hard when a little girl was still unconscious in the backseat, her right arm hanging at an awkward angle.

She didn't give him time to respond before moving to the back door, opening it carefully. The damage had been mostly on the right side of the car – where Alexis had been sitting, she thought – so the left side door was still accessible. She made her way inside slowly, careful not to jostle the child in any way and tried to assess her injuries. It seemed like she had a broken arm for sure and a huge bruise was forming on her forehead, a thin trickle of blood slowly leaking from the wound.

"Alexis?" She called gently, but the girl didn't stir. "Alexis, honey, can you hear me?"

"Is she okay?" She heard Rick ask from the driver's seat. "Alexis? Pumpkin?" He sounded so panicked that Kate didn't know what to do. Alexis needed to wake up, at least for her father's peace of mind.

"Beckett?" Ryan's voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to the left side of the car to find his baby blue eyes looking at her with concern. "The paramedics are checking the other guy. How are they doing here?"

"Tell them we've got an unconscious child in the backseat. They need to get their asses here right now." She told him sharply and he nodded, a little taken aback by her tone. "Alexis?" She tried again once Ryan was out of sight. "Come on, honey. You've got to wake for me just for a second." She pleaded and nearly teared up when she heard the girl groan and try to move. "No, honey, stay still. Don't move."

She watched as Alexis scrunched up her eyebrows in obvious discomfort and her eyelids fluttered before she opened her eyes. It took her a moment to focus on who was standing in front of her.

"Kate?" She gasped, tears immediately pooling in her eyes.

"Hey, sweetie. Yeah, it's me." She tried to smile reassuringly at the girl, but she was certain it came out more like a grimace.

"It hurts." The young girl's voice shook as the tears spilled out of her eyes. "Oh, it hurts, Kate."

"I know, I know." Kate could feel tears burning behind her eyes for the pain this child was probably in. "We're going to get you to the hospital real soon, okay? Just hang in there."

"My dad. Where's my dad?" The girl cried, trying to move forward, but stopped when the pain took her breath away. "I want my dad."

"Right here, pumpkin. Hang in there." Kate sighed in relief when she heard Rick's voice. She thought he had passed out again for a moment.

"Dad." Alexis moaned in pain and in fear and Kate just wanted to take this little girl into her arms and make her better and take all her pain away.

"He's right here, Alexis. Right in front of you, alright? Don't worry." She told her, pressing a kiss to the girl's uninjured temple .

"What have we got?" The paramedic asked and Kate made to leave the car, but Alexis panicked voice stopped her.

"No, Kate. Don't go! Stay with me!" She pleaded with her and Kate took the girl's hand and squeezed gently.

"I'll be right outside. They need to check you out and then I'll go with you guys to the hospital." She made sure Alexis maintained eye contact with her. "Okay, sweetie? Just hang in there for a little while. I'll be right outside."

Alexis nodded and she stepped out of the damaged car, stood next to Ryan as the paramedics examined them and put both Rick and his daughter on backboards.

"Do you know them?" The young rookie asked her curiously while the paramedics worked on them. Kate reluctantly looked away from Rick and Alexis and nodded, turning to Ryan.

"Yeah, we're friends." She let out a shaky breath and bit her lip hard in order to keep it together. They had only known each other for a little over _forty-eight hours_. Why was she so affected by this? "I, uh… I already called it in. Would you mind if I rode with them to the hospital? I'll explain to the Captain later."

"Sure, Beckett. Don't worry about it. Go help your friends." He gave her a small, reassuring smile and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Thanks, Ryan. I'll see you later." She nodded gratefully and approached the two gurneys where they had been put on. "Hey." She greeted quietly, relieved that Rick was awake and apparently alert, even if he was still a little groggy. "You hanging in there?" She covered his hand with hers carefully. He had tiny cuts all over his arms from the shattered windows.

"Yeah. Is my daughter okay? I still haven't seen her. They won't let me get out of this thing." He said anxiously and she squeezed his hand gently, slowly caressing his skin with her thumb.

"She's got a broken arm, probably. And she hit her head." She told him calmly, soothing him when he seemed panicked about his kid. "She'll be okay, Rick. You both will."

"Is she really okay?" He asked in a harsh whisper and she could see his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"A little banged up, but she seems to be. I talked to her already. You heard it." She told him and he threaded his fingers through hers. She felt her heart skip a beat, but tried not to read too much into it. He was obviously in pain and in need of comfort, so she was more than willing to give it to him.

"Why are you here?" He asked after a couple of minutes of silence as the paramedics worked on getting Alexis into the ambulance. "I mean, thank God you're here, but…"

"I was patrolling this area. Heard the crash, called it in and came to check it out. Never expected it to be you guys." She explained with a small grin and he offered one in return.

"Looks like you're our guardian angel." He grinned weakly at her and she rolled her eyes. The paramedics started wheeling him in to the ambulance, but he held onto her hand. "Can you come with us?"

"Of course." She jumped inside the ambulance and nodded to the paramedic in charge. "Going with them. Is that cool, Garcia?"

"Sure thing, Beckett." The young paramedic replied and adjusted both gurneys inside. "Friends of yours?"

"Yeah, something like that." She nodded and maneuvered inside the vehicle until she found a spot where she could sit and stay out of the paramedics' way. "Alexis? How are you doing, honey?"

"I want my dad. And my arm hurts really, really bad." She sounded so close to tears that Kate's heart ached for the little girl.

"We'll get you something for the pain soon, little one." Garcia told her and the redhead nodded tearfully.

"You're going to be okay, pumpkin." Rick tried to reassure her and Kate could see he longed to touch his kid, at least hold her hand. "I'm right here with you, okay?"

"Okay." Alexis' reply was shaky and Kate reached out and took the girl's hand in hers.

The sooner they got to the hospital, the better.

* * *

Kate paced the floor of the ER reception. Rick and Alexis had been taken to different trauma rooms as soon as they had gotten there and she hadn't heard anything since. While she waited, she called the Precinct and let them know that a family emergency had come up – and had _that_ felt weird to say, especially considering whom she was referring to – and that she would have to take the rest of the day off.

Then she busied herself by pacing back and forth until someone asked for Richard Castle's family. Again, she felt extremely weird and out of place to be claiming such title, but Rick hadn't asked her to contact anyone, so she was at a loss of what to do. She wouldn't just leave them here, especially when she didn't even know if they were really okay, even if they seemed to be.

The middle-aged nurse led her into the emergency ward and told her that Rick had already done a head scan and they were awaiting the results, but everything seemed to be okay. She could stay with him for a while if she wanted. When she asked about Alexis, the nurse said she had been taken to surgery and she would come and get her when she came out. Before she could ask anything else, the woman left and left Kate standing in front of a curtain that shielded the patient from the rest of the hospital.

Pushing aside the rough fabric, Kate slipped into the cubicle and smiled at Rick. He had some bandage wrapped around his forehead and she could see a tiny droplet of blood that had soaked through the gauze from the deep gash.

"Hey."

He smiled when he saw her, looking entirely too sleepy. She pulled a stool next to the bed and sat down, resting her hand next to his. He immediately took it in his, threading their fingers together gently. She complied, willing to give him some comfort and tried not to dwell on what any of this would mean for them in the near future.

"I don't even know what to say." He confessed after a few seconds in silence and she caressed the back of his hand with her thumb.

"About what?" She asked, confused.

"You. Coming with us, staying. I can't thank you enough." He said sincerely and she sighed, not knowing how to respond.

"Just following through on our keeping each other company deal." She teased and he grinned weakly, squeezing her hand. "It's no big deal, Rick. There's no way I would've done anything differently." She assured him and he nodded slowly, mindful of his wound.

"Must be fate, you know." He commented after a while. She raised an eyebrow in question. "You being the one who found us today. It could've been anyone, but it was you." He elaborated and she shook her head with a smile.

"True." She agreed, leaning against the bed. Suddenly, the adrenaline disappeared and she felt the exhaustion taking over her body. "But I don't believe in fate."

"Well, call it whatever you want. It was at least one hell of a coincidence." He insisted and she chuckled, nodding. "Not how I had imagined seeing you again, though."

"Yeah? What was on your mind?" She narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

"Well, a proper date, for starters." He said matter-of-factly and she chuckled again.

"I never said I'd go out with you, Mr. Castle." She teased and held onto her hand a little tighter, his thumb running slow circles on her skin.

"It's only a matter of time." He said with confidence and she supported her head with her hand, leaning on the bed for support.

"Why do you think that?"

"I like you." He shrugged and she rolled her eyes.

"You barely know me."

"Well, I'm intrigued enough to want to get to know you better." He insisted and she breathed out a laugh. "Really, Kate. Thank you so much for being here."

"Don't worry about it." She watched as he yawned, making her mimic his action. "How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. They gave me some painkillers, so it feels like my head is stuffed with cotton." He grinned and lost the battle to another yawn. "And they said Alexis is in surgery to set the fracture, but she should be okay." He sighed. "I just wish I could see her."

"You will soon." She told him, smiling when his eyelids started to droop.

"Kate?" He mumbled, eyes closed.

"Hmm?"

"I really like you." He pushed the words out groggily and promptly fell asleep, as Kate shook her head amused.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is a little on the short side, but I've been crazy busy these past couple of days. I was on vacation for a few weeks and just returned to work this Monday, so you know how that always goes: a gazillion things to catch up on. But I was feeling guilty for leaving you guys hanging for so long and I had this part written, so I thought I'd post it already, instead of waiting for some free time in the near future.**

**Consider it as a bridge kind of chapter to move the story along in the next few installments. Hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.**

* * *

**Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Rick had just been transferred to a room upstairs and they were informed that Alexis would be brought in soon. The surgery had gone well and she would make a full recovery after wearing a cast for a few weeks. Kate watched him sag against the pillow in his bed and let out a sigh when the surgeon left the room. He looked so tired; the dark circles under his eyes and the tiny cuts that permeated his skin on his face and his arms only adding to the sick look.

"Is there anyone you need to call?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him.

He hadn't mentioned anyone, no family member, and she was worried about him. About them. It took him a while to snap out of his thoughts and face her.

"I'll call her mother soon. It's not like she will drop everything and come to New York, so there's no rush." He explained with a wry smile, a sad look in his eyes.

"You sure?" she insisted, standing up from the couch and making her way to his bedside. He nodded and covered her hand with his, as he had already made a habit of in the past few hours. "What about for you? Do you want me to call anyone? Your mom?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she was prying too much.

"She's in LA too. I'll call her later once we get settled in here." He sighed and closed his eyes. He would have to stay overnight for observation and Alexis had to stay for a couple of days.

"Okay."

She sat carefully on the edge of his bed and let him hold her hand. It seemed that she was being his anchor through this and the more time she spent with him, the more she realized that he was a really lonely guy. Alexis seemed to be his entire world and he looked so lost without his little girl by his side.

She wasn't sure what this would mean for them in the long run. The way they had been acting today, this sudden intimacy, everything was a little overwhelming. After all, they had only known each other for a couple of days and yet it seemed like that little detail didn't matter. It was weird and more than a little daunting, especially for Kate, who didn't usually let anyone get close to her. She had learned the hard way that the closer you get to someone, the harder the fall would be when they inevitably left – by their own free will or not. Since her parents died, she wouldn't let anyone in too deep to prevent further heartache.

"Kate?" He squeezed her hand to catch her attention. She snapped out of her thoughts and met his eyes. "Thank you. For everything." He said sincerely and she smiled, shaking her head.

"Don't mention it." She squeezed his hand back and he looked down at their entwined fingers.

"You don't have to stay if you've got stuff to do. I mean, I know you already missed work today and…" He started, but she shushed him with a finger gently touching his lips.

"Don't worry about it. I can stay for a little while longer." She told him and felt his lips curve into a smile, before pulling her hand back. "But if you want some privacy, I can go. Just say the word."

"No, no. I'm so glad you're here. I don't know how I would've gotten through this in one piece if you weren't here to keep me sane." He admitted with a sheepish look and met her eyes. "Is it weird for you? I mean, like you said, we barely know each other."

"It is and it isn't, you know? I don't know how to explain it."

"It feels like I've known you forever." He mused, mostly to himself, and she let out a quiet chuckle. "I don't even know what to make of that." He added, resting his head back on the pillow. His bed was in a half seated position and he had his legs stretched out, his thigh pressed against her hip being a comforting warmth.

"If it makes you feel any better, it's mutual." She said, a sudden shyness clouding over her tone.

"Yeah?" A small smile formed on his lips and she smiled back.

"Yeah."

Before she could say anything else, a nurse opened the door and wheeled Alexis in on a gurney. The girl was still asleep, but her arm was already in a cast that covered most of her injured limb. The doctor had said earlier that she had fractured her arm in two different places with the impact of the accident and they had had to reset her bone surgically.

Kate felt the change in Rick the second Alexis entered the room. His smile was infectious and he sprang to his feet immediately. She touched his arm to steady him – he was still a little slow from the painkillers he had taken earlier – and he smiled his thanks before making his way to his daughter's bedside.

"Hey, pumpkin." She heard him whisper to his little girl, running his fingers gently through her hair. "I'm so glad you're okay." She thought she heard his voice catch and decided that this was her cue to go get a cup of coffee and something to eat, so she could give them some privacy. She was almost through the door when his voice stopped her. "You don't have to leave, Kate."

"I'm just going to get something to eat and a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?" He shook his head and looked back down at his daughter. Before she could stop herself, Kate made her way back into the room and to his side, laying a hand gently on his arm.

"Hang in there." She whispered, brushing a light kiss to his cheek, and left.

* * *

"Are you coming back tomorrow, Kate?" Alexis asked when she leaned down to place a kiss on her hair.

"I'll try to come by during my lunch break, but I can't promise anything, okay?"

She smiled at the girl, gently pushing her bangs away from her blue eyes. There was a huge bruise on her forehead, swollen and with varying shades of purple. It looked awful on such a young face. She looked up and found Rick watching them from his bed, a small, pensive smile playing on his lips. It was closing in on 8pm and she was truly exhausted. She honestly couldn't believe she had actually stayed here all day with these people that were basically strangers – but, really, felt like old friends – talking about nothing and everything.

This was definitely a first for Kate Beckett. At least for the Kate Beckett post her parents' deaths. She was pretty much alone in the world, even though she did try to visit her grandmother every couple of months. And she felt that she and Rick were kindred spirits in that way. She knew his mother was an actress, so she was away a lot; she didn't know much about his father and he didn't mention anything in these past couple of days. That and the fact that his public profile never mentioned anything about the man either just added to her conclusion that he wasn't in the picture. Maybe never had been.

"Text me when you get home?" He asked quietly when she made her way to his bedside. "Just so we know you made it home okay."

"You do know I can take care of myself, right? Being a cop and all." She raised a playful eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes, his lips curving up in a grin.

"Just humor me?" He insisted and she nodded, touching his hand in farewell. He turned his palm up and brought her hand to his lips, where he placed a lingering kiss on her skin. "Thanks again for today."

"It was my pleasure, Rick." She gave him a smile, feeling the butterflies start a riot in her stomach.

He released her hand and she made her way to the door, turning around to wave at Alexis. Once she found herself in the hallway, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, letting out a breath. When he did things like this, it made her want to run in the opposite direction and throw herself at him at the same time.

This man was making her feelings (and hormones) go haywire.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Tell me all about them when you review. By the way, I just wanted to thank you all again for the amazing support. You guys blow my mind every time! Thank you so, so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so so so sorry I have left you guys hanging for so long. I came down with a nasty bug and had to be admitted to the hospital for a little while. It wasn't fun. Now I'm almost back to 100% so hopefully I'll be able to update this a little more regularly.**

**Thank you so much for your support. This chapter is extra long because these characters just wouldn't shut up.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is still not mine.**

* * *

**Through the looking glass**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Hey!"

Her voice was warm and relaxed in his ear and he felt butterflies going crazy in the pit of his stomach. It had been a week since he had last seen Kate and… well… he missed her, as crazy as that sounded even in his own head. She hadn't been able to make it back to the hospital the day following the accident because of her work and between that and taking care of Alexis, they barely managed to talk for an entire week.

"Hey, yourself." He smiled and ran a hand through his wet hair. His stitches had come off today and he was finally allowed to wash his hair. "You working?"

"Actually, no. We caught the guy. I have the weekend off, finally." She sighed on her end of the line and he wondered if she was in bed. She sounded relaxed and sleepy.

"Got any plans for tonight?" He asked hesitantly, afraid that the stunning connection they had might have faded over the week they hadn't seen each other.

"Not really. Why?"

"Want to come over for dinner and a movie? My kid and I miss you." He invited and heard her chuckle. "What, it's true." He defended himself. What was it about this woman that made him feel so insecure and like he was treading on ice?

"Sure, sounds great." She said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "How's Alexis?"

"She's okay. Cranky, but okay." He sighed and walked into his closet to pick a shirt for his 'almost date' with Kate. "I'm just glad she's home and healthy, you know?"

"I know. Me too." She says quietly and they stay silent for a beat. "So, what time should I be there, Mr. Castle?"

"Whenever. We're waiting." He replied, taking a light blue button down shirt and throwing it over the white t-shirt he was already wearing. "I'll text you the address."

"I'll see you soon, then." He smiled excitedly at her words and was about to hang up when he heard her voice again. "And, Rick, for the record? I miss you guys too." She confessed and hung up, leaving him staring at his phone like a love struck teenager.

Putting his phone on his nightstand after texting her his address, he wandered over to the ensuite bathroom for one last look in the mirror. He quickly dried his hair with a towel and tried to fix it so it didn't look like he had just fallen off his bed. Deeming himself acceptable, he took a deep, calming breath – now that she had said yes, he was kind of nervous - and headed out of his room to find his daughter. She would be through the roof that Kate was coming over.

Not even twenty minutes had passed when the doorbell rang and he felt his heart skip a beat. This was getting downright ridiculous, he thought, shaking his head and started to make his way over to the door.

"I'll get it! I'll get it!" An excited blur of red hair passed by him in a flash and he chuckled, before admonishing his kid.

"Pumpkin, you shouldn't be running, remember?" He tried to sound stern, but his daughter was just so excited that he ended up sounding amused.

"Sorry, daddy." She said over her shoulder and asked who it was. There was a muffled reply, but he wasn't close enough to hear. Whoever it was, though, made Alexis' shoulder sag in disappointment.

"Who is it, honey?" He asked, making his way to the redhead. When she opened the door, he froze on the spot.

"Hi, mom."

Oh, God. Not Meredith. Not now.

Shit.

"Hi, sweetheart." His ex-wife pulled Alexis into a hug and he saw the girl wince when the action jostled her broken arm. She had a cast all the way past her elbow and it was supported by a sling. "How are you doing, baby girl? I was so worried!" She kissed Alexis' temple and pushed her away to look at her. Rick had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"I'm fine, mom. Dad is taking good care of me." She said with a sigh and turned to look at her father. "Right, Daddy?" She looked at him questioningly and he knew she was wondering if this would ruin their dinner with Kate. He shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Of course. Meredith, what are you doing here?" He tried to keep all animosity from his voice, going for surprised.

"Oh, we're filming on location and I just had to come and see my little girl. I was so worried." She explained, walking into the loft.

"Of course you were." Rick sighed and closed the door behind him, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He watched as Meredith made her way to the kitchen, stopping dead on her tracks when she saw the table set for three. He already had the pasta ready and had just started working on his special sauce when Meredith arrived.

"Are you expecting someone?" She turned around and he was slightly surprised to see a cloud of hurt in her eyes.

"Yup." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

"Martha back in the town?" She asked a little too hopefully and he nearly groaned in annoyance. What the hell did she expect by coming by unannounced? That he would fall into bed with her again?

"No, she is stuck in LA for a while. Her show is doing really well."

"Oh."

"Grandma said she is going to try and come by in a couple of weeks, though." Alexis offered and Meredith nodded, turning back to him, waiting for him to volunteer some more information probably.

"That's great, honey." She sighed when he didn't say anything else. "Tell me what you've been up to." She walked over to Alexis and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, guiding her to the living room.

Rick watched them go with a heavy heart and sighed, leaning against the counter.

This sucked.

* * *

Kate checked her phone for his address once more to make sure she would get off the subway at the right station. He lived about twenty minutes away from her, but she didn't usually come to this part of town by subway. With a sigh, she leaned her head back against the wall, wishing she still had her car. She had left it at her grandmother's cabin upstate a couple of years back so her nana could get around town on her own. It wasn't like she desperately needed a car in New York City, not when her life was basically her job.

But now she missed it. Maybe she should take a look around at some cars, finally use some of the money she had inherited when she turned 25 last year. Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to wonder back to when she met Rick and everything that had happened since then. It was so strange this connection they seemed to have. Technically they had only met twice, but had talked pretty much every day for the past ten days, even if it was just a quick text to say hi. She liked him. She really, really liked him and she couldn't for the life of her understand why.

Fifteen minutes later, Kate found herself in the elevator in his building on her way to the seventh floor. The doorman had buzzed her in and now she was nervously smoothing down her shirt and trying to calm down her racing heart. After what seemed like forever, the doors finally opened on the right floor and she stepped out, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Rick opened the door just a few short seconds later and she felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so good, so much better than the last time she had seen him. The stitches had disappeared and he only had a thin red line above his left eyebrow. His smile was contagious when their gazes met.

"Hi." She said quietly, feeling self-conscious at his intense survey of her body.

"Hi." He replied, leaning down to brush his lips against her cheek in a gentle kiss. "You look amazing." He whispered in her ear before stepping back, in time to see her blush slightly.

"Thanks." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You don't look so bad yourself." She gave him a small smile and he grinned.

"So listen, there's been an unexpected turn of events." He told her quietly and she frowned in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Alexis' mom just showed up out of the blue." He explained, an apologetic look in his eyes.

"Oh." She felt like the rug had just been pulled from right under her feet. What exactly did that mean? "Um, I can come back some other time?" She offered, not knowing what to say.

"No! That's not… God, Kate, I've been waiting to see you for days. Just… no. Stay. Please?" He stumbled with his words and Kate couldn't help but smile. "I'll get rid of her as soon as I possibly can."

"Are you sure?" She still hesitated. Meeting his ex-wife before they even had their first date? Talk about awkward. "I don't want things to be weird."

"Yes. I told you, we missed you. Alexis is super excited to see you." He reassured her and took her hand in his, tugging her closer so that their chests almost touched. "We can hang out while Meredith catches up with her and then we can continue with our original plan." She looked up at him and bit her lip, before giving in with a smile.

"Alright, Mr. Castle. Let's do this."

He beamed at her and entwined their fingers, pulling her into the loft. She tried to take in his place, glad that it was just a normal home and not some fancy mansion. She hadn't really known what to expect because he was this really rich and famous author, but at the same time he was the nicest, most down-to-earth guy she had met in a really long while.

"I brought brownie and ice cream for dessert." She told him when they reached the kitchen. He took the plastic bag from her and gave her a small smile.

"You didn't have to, you know." He nudged her playfully and she rolled her eyes.

"I wanted to." She looked up at him again, her eyes focusing on his scar. "How are you doing?" She asked, reaching up to gently trace the small red line with her finger.

"Better. A lot better. So is Alexis, even if she's been cranky that she can't go to school yet." He sighed, covering her hand with his and bringing it to his lips. "Still not weird?" He asked hesitantly and she shook her head amused.

"I guess it's weird that it's not weird, you know? Does that make sense?" She breathed out a laugh and he chuckled, nodding in agreement. Before he could reply, they heard Alexis' voice and the sound of her small feet running towards them.

"Kate!" The redhead threw her good arm around her waist in a hug and looked up at her with a happy smile. "Hi!"

"Hey, sweetie." Kate hesitated for a moment before hugging the girl back, mindful of her injured arm. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Just, you know, bored. Not a whole lot to do with a broken arm." She sighed dejectedly and Kate chuckled. "I missed you. Have you finished the book yet?"

"No, not yet. Work has been crazy, so I haven't had a lot of free time. I will soon, though." She promised the young girl, who nodded.

"Dad said you were working in a special investigation."

"Yup. We caught the guy yesterday, though, so I have the weekend off."

"Awesome, maybe we can do something?" Alexis suggested hopefully and Kate looked up at Rick, who nodded with a smile.

"Sure. We'll work something out later, how's that?" Kate said and looked up in time to see a red haired woman making their way towards the kitchen. She looked at Rick and raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Alexis beat them to the introductions.

"Oh, Kate, this is my mom." She said with a small smile. "Mom, this is Kate."

"Nice to meet you." Kate said politely, offering her hand for the woman to shake.

"Likewise." She replied with verging on freezing tone of voice. "Who are you, exactly?" She cocked her head to the side, looking at Kate from head to toes.

"Kate is a friend of ours, Meredith." Rick said with a clear warning in his tone. Kate felt her gaze burning her skin as the woman looked with obvious animosity at her, especially because Alexis still had her arm around her waist.

"Yeah, we're going to watch a movie after dinner." Alexis chimed in. "What part of the book did you stop at, Kate?" The girl looked up at her again.

"Harry was just picked by the goblet of fire." She smiled at the young redhead and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And you were right. It's great so far. I love it."

"See, told ya!" Alexis grinned and let go of her. "I'm just going to go show mom something and then we can have dinner? Dad?"

"Sure, pumpkin. Go ahead." Rick told her and stepped closer to Kate. "Do you want some wine?" He asked quietly when Meredith followed Alexis upstairs. She nodded and let out a sigh.

"That was interesting." She commented and he chuckled, pouring red wine into two glasses.

"Sorry about that. I didn't expect her to be so… I don't even know what that was." He shook his head and handed her a glass.

"That's okay." She offered a small smile and took a sip. "It's great to see Alexis looking so much better, though."

"Yeah. She still has a few weeks of recovery ahead of her, but the doctor okayed her going back to school next week. At least she won't be so restless." He leaned against the counter next to her, their sides touching. "So how was the undercover op?"

* * *

A couple of hours later, Rick left Kate in the living room to put a sleeping Alexis to bed upstairs. Meredith had thankfully left before they had dinner, but he was still baffled by the blatant display of animosity she had shown towards Kate. He had dated other women after they had gotten divorced – hell, he had even married another woman after her – and she had never acted like that.

Tucking Alexis in, he turned off the light and left the door slightly ajar, so the room wouldn't be in complete darkness. Even though his daughter wouldn't admit it, he knew she was afraid of the dark. With his thoughts still trying to make sense of his ex-wife's behavior, he made his way downstairs and found Kate flipping through the channels on TV.

He still found it completely mindboggling that they got along so well, connected so intensely after such a short time. She relaxed only after Meredith left and he couldn't exactly blame her. If it was the other way around, he would have felt the same way. He was just grateful that she hadn't run for the hills after Meredith's little display of misplaced jealousy.

"Hey, more wine?" He asked when he reached the couch.

"Sure." She smiled and relaxed against the back of the couch, letting out a yawn. He poured them another glass and handed hers back, before settling next to her, their sides touching as they had been through the entire movie. "She asleep?"

"Out for the night." He turned his head in her direction, resting it on the back of the couch. "Sorry about earlier." He said quietly and she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it." She reassured him and he felt her relax into his side just a little bit. "How long were you guys married? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." She questioned after a beat.

"A little over two years. Alexis was about 18 months old when she left." He explained, reaching out to gently trace her fingers with his. "I caught her going at it with her director at the time right here in this room."

"Oh, wow. I'm sorry." She said quietly, turning her palm up to his gentle exploration. He shrugged and threaded his fingers through hers.

"It was a long time ago." He sighed, his thumb drawing gentle circles on the back of her hand. "We got married for the wrong reasons, but in the end we were better off going our separate ways. At least I got Alexis out of the deal, you know?" He offered her a small smile and she nodded, leaning against him more fully.

"You're doing a really great job with her." She rested her head on his shoulder and he let go of her hand in order to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"She makes it easy for me." He shrugged again, running his fingers lazily up and down her arm. "I'm glad you came over tonight." He murmured, placing a kiss on her hair.

"So am I." She looked up at him with a happy, but timid smile.

"Still not weird?" He asked, a playful tone to his voice in order to disguise how unsure he was.

"Nope." She shook her head and snuggled closer.

"Good." He took a deep breath. "Kate?" He whispered and she looked up at him again questioningly. "Can I kiss you?"

She answered him by closing the distance and touching his lips with hers.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I suck at updating. I know. Life just got in the way. Hope you guys are still interested!**

* * *

**Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Her body felt like a live wire.

The moment her lips met his, it seemed like she had just been zapped; adrenaline and desire running rampant through her veins when he pulled her closer, pressing his body into hers so deliciously that she didn't even know what to do with herself. The kiss had started off slowly, but soon escalated to a passion so intense that Kate felt like she was about to combust if she didn't do anything about it in the next few seconds.

His hands explored her body gently, cautiously, but his palm touching her skin under her shirt left a burning trail of heat. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't been with anyone in a while or that they shared this freakishly intense connection, but right there and then, Kate wanted him. Badly.

But they were also making out on his couch like hormonal teenagers with his 9-year-old daughter sleeping upstairs and this was _so not right. _

"Rick." She tried, but it came out like a gasp that turned into a low moan when he sucked the tender skin on her neck where her pulse was beating erratically. "Rick, wait." She finally got out after a moment.

"What's wrong?" He pulled away just enough to be able to look down at her. Somehow they had ended up lying on the couch and she could feel exactly how much he wanted her pressed against her thigh.

"We can't do this." She told him and watched bemusedly as his expression fell.

"What? Why? What's the matter?" He asked quickly, pushing himself up on his arms to give her some space.

"_Here._ We can't do this here." She corrected and he sighed in relief, a small smile playing on his lips when he relaxed. She chuckled and touched his swollen lips with her thumb, tracing the sensitive skin gently. "We don't want your daughter walking in on us now, do we?"

"Right, of course." He shook his head at himself with a wry smile and leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her lips. "Sorry, guess I got a little carried away."

"Takes two to tango, you know." She laughed and playfully bit on his bottom lip, then the underside of his jaw. "But maybe we should slow down a little bit?"

"Okay." He took a deep breath and leaned down again, resting his forehead on her shoulder in an effort to keep himself under control. "Still not weird?" He asked jokingly after a moment and she laughed, running her hand through his hair.

"Absolutely not." She reassured him and felt him sigh against her neck.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, Kate gently running her fingers through his hair as he laid half on top of her. With any other guy, this... thing, whatever it was that was going on between them, would have made her run for the hills, but it was different with Rick. She had never been much of a cuddler, but she found that Rick made her feel safe; and having him here was just what she needed, just what she had been craving for all these years.

They cuddled, talked and kissed playfully for a while, until Kate resumed her previous activity of running her fingers through his hair, her nails gently scratching his scalp in a soothing touch.

"I'm going to fall asleep on you if you keep that up." He warned sleepily and she chuckled, letting out a yawn herself. "See, you're sleepy too."

"Yeah, I should probably go." She stretched her body lazily and felt him tighten the hold he had on her waist.

"You can stay here, you know. It's late." He offered, but she shook her head. "You can sleep in the guest room, if you want. Although I'd be more than happy to share my bed with you." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she chuckled, sitting up.

"I know. But maybe it's best if I go home tonight. I don't want Alexis to get the wrong idea about us." She smiled down at him and touched his cheek.

"Are you sure?" He insisted, but she nodded, tugging on his ear playfully before leaning down for a kiss. "I'll call the car service to take you home."

"Rick, that's not necessary." She started to protest, but he stopped her.

"I know you're a cop and that you can take care of yourself, but it's two in the morning, Kate." He sat up and reached over to the coffee table to retrieve his phone. "Let me do this for you?" He looked at her and she sighed, leaning back against the back of the couch.

"Alright."

* * *

With the promise to meet at some point the next day, Kate arrived safely at her apartment. Taking her shoes off after locking the door, she stretched her body and groaned when she felt her joints pop. Tonight hadn't turned out quite as she had expected, but it had been wonderful nonetheless.

This relationship or whatever it was with Rick was progressing far too quickly for her usual standards , but instead of making her want to run, she just felt giddy and excited for the first time in a really long time. He seemed to be really interested in her as a person, as opposed to the other guys she had dated previously, that just thought she was a hot chick or had a thing for cops. But not him. Rick liked _her_, _Kate_, and not just how she looked and that in itself was completely refreshing.

Making her way to her bedroom, she quickly changed into an oversized shirt and crawled into bed after brushing her teeth. She texted him to let him know she had made it home safely and his reply, saying good night and sweet dreams was the last thing she saw before letting sleep take her over.

* * *

Kate slept in the next day. It was her first entire weekend off in a couple of months and all she felt like doing was catching up on sleep. Her body, however, had other plans. By 9:30 she found herself too restless to stay in bed and got up with a groan, rolling her eyes at herself for not being able to sleep in like she used to when she was a teenager. Rubbing her eyes, she made her way to the kitchen and started the coffee maker, trying to stifle a yawn. When the coffee was ready, she poured a healthy dose on her favorite mug and turned the TV on.

Pulling the blanket that was on the back of the couch over her thighs, she got comfortable to enjoy a couple of hours of mindless television. She knew she should eat something at some point, but she was just feeling lazy this morning. Maybe she'd get some cereal later.

About an hour later, she heard her phone ringing from her room and debated with herself for a moment if she should let it go to voicemail. Deciding that it might be something important, she put her mug on the coffee table and ran to her bedroom. She retrieved it from her nightstand and smiled when she saw Rick's name on the screen.

"Hi." She said happily into the phone and felt just a little ridiculous that her heart was racing and she couldn't stop smiling. They had had one unofficial date, she had no right to be feeling like this. Right?

"Morning." He said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I've been awake for a while. What's up?"

"Well, Meredith is taking Alexis this morning, so I thought maybe we could do something?" He asked, a little hesitant, and she grinned.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Maybe we could do an early lunch, say, in about an hour or so?" He suggested and she checked the clock on her nightstand. It was almost 11.

"Sure. Do you want to meet somewhere?" She offered, making her way to her closet to see what she was going to wear. Pulling out long sleeved shirt with a V neck, she looked at it critically while he talked.

"I can pick you up. If you don't mind, that is." He added as an afterthought and she chuckled at how hesitant he still was.

"Of course I don't mind." She threw the green shirt on her bed and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans to go with it. "I'll text you the address. See you in an hour?"

"Really looking forward to it." He told her before hanging up.

Kate sighed and felt ridiculous again for feeling this way so soon. She wasn't a teenager anymore, for Christ's sake, and here she was, sighing like a lovesick fool because of a guy she had only made out with once. She wasn't like that. Not anymore.

Shaking her head at herself, she quickly sent him a text with her address and checked the clock again before going to the bathroom for a quick shower. Half an hour later, she was applying her makeup when the doorbell ringing startled her so badly that she nearly poked her eye with the eyeliner. Cursing under her breath, she made her way to the front door and asked who it was.

"It's me, Katie." She heard the muffled female voice and a smile immediately appeared on her lips. Quickly unlocking the door, she opened it and beamed at her grandmother.

"Nana!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around the older woman. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming to town!"

"Oh, Patrick here said he was driving down to the city, so I thought I'd come say hello to my favorite police officer." She explained and Kate realized there was a man standing to the left of her grandmother.

"Patrick, hey!" She smiled at him and hugged him quickly. They had been close growing up and he lived right next door to her grandparents cabin upstate. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, it's great to see you, Katie. I hear you're a cop now?" He smiled at her and Kate nodded while ushering them inside the apartment. "I hope you don't mind my being here. I didn't want Mrs. Mayer to come up by herself, in case you weren't home."

"Thanks." She said and tried to ignore the way he was obviously checking her out. "Make yourselves at home. Do you want some coffee, Nana?"

"Oh, that would be great, honey. It's quite chilly outside today."

The older woman sat down on the couch and leaned back with a sigh. She was turning 75 next month and Kate knew her arthritis bothered her when it was cold. She was always so elegant, though. Tall, but not as tall as her granddaughter, and just a little on the chubby side, Alexandra Mayer carried herself with grace. Kate loved her hugs. They had the immediate effect of making her feel safe and loved, especially after her parents died and she was the only family she had left.

"Sure. Patrick?" Kate turned to the tall, light brown haired man. His blue eyes were still following the curves of her body and it was starting to get on her nerves.

"I'd love some, yeah." He grinned at her appreciatively and she nodded, making her way to the kitchen to put a new pot of coffee on.

"So how have you been, Nana? Sorry I haven't called these past couple of weeks." She asked her grandmother when the coffee was ready and poured in three mugs. Putting them on a tray, she balanced it carefully in her hands while she walked back to the couch.

"Oh, don't you worry, Katie. I've been just fine. Went to the doctors last week and I'm healthy as a horse." The older woman grinned at her granddaughter, who smiled back, handing her the warm cup. "Thank you, honey." She took a sip and sighed happily. "Oh, this is just what I needed, Katie."

Kate smiled at her after giving Patrick a mug. "I missed you." She confessed, sitting down next to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I missed you too, my darling girl. Look at you. You look just like your mom, Katie. So beautiful." Mrs. Mayer tucked a loose strand of Kate's hair behind her ear affectionately. "You're all dressed up. Did you have plans?"

"Yeah, I kind of did." Kate smiled sheepishly, looking down at her hands for a moment. "But I can cancel, that's okay." She reassured her grandmother, who shook her head.

"Nonsense, Katie." She took Kate's hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "I was the one who showed up unannounced." She protested right before her doorbell rang.

"Excuse me. I'll be right back."

Kate excused herself and made her way to the front door again, trying to decide what to do about the situation. Should she cancel on Rick? Or let him in and have him meet her grandmother? Would that scare him off, meeting the family so soon? On the other hand, she had already met his daughter, even his ex-wife. So what did that mean?

Taking a deep breath, she asked who it was and smiled when she heard his voice.

"Hey." She grinned at him when she opened the door and found him leaning against the doorsill, smiling at her. Before saying anything, he took her hand and pulled her to him, capturing her lips with his.

"Hey, yourself." He grinned boyishly and stole another kiss. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah... so, I had kind of a surprise visit from my grandmother just now and, well... I can't just leave her here." She sighed and rested her forehead on his chest, before looking up at him. Without her heels on, the height difference was striking.

"Oh." He looked so disappointed that she couldn't help but kiss that look away.

"I'm really sorry. Tomorrow, maybe?"

"Oh, Katie, invite the poor boy in." She heard her grandmother's voice and groaned against his chest. "Hi, darling. Oh, he's so handsome, Katie." She said, showing up at the door and Kate pulled back from him and blushed intensely, wishing the floor could swallow her whole. She had forgotten how much her Nana loved to tease her when it came to boys. "I'm Alexandra Mayer, Katie's grandmother."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mayer. I'm Rick Castle." He looked amused at Kate and shook her grandmother's hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Castle. Why don't you come in for a cup of coffee?"

"Nana..." Kate started, but Mrs. Mayer interrupted her protest.

"I'm not going to ruin your date, sweetheart. We can have a cup of coffee while Mr. Castle tells me a bit about himself and then you kids can go on your way. We can catch up later when you get back." She patted her granddaughter's cheek with a smile and winked when Rick entered the apartment. "Quite a catch you got there, Katie. Quite a catch." She nodded appreciatively and Kate knew Rick could hear every word.

God, how had her day turned upside down like this?

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


End file.
